Effectiveness of influenza vaccine in aging and older adults: comprehensive analysis of the evidence

Abstract

Foremost amongst the diseases preventable by vaccination is influenza. Worldwide, influenza virus infection is associated with serious adverse events leading to hospitalization, debilitating complications, and death in elderly individuals. Immunization is considered to be the cornerstone for preventing these adverse health outcomes, and vaccination programs are timed to optimize protection during the annual influenza season. Trivalent inactivated influenza virus vaccines are believed to be both effective and cost-saving; however, in spite of widespread influenza vaccination programs, rates of hospitalization for acute respiratory illness and cardiovascular diseases have been increasing in this population during recent annual influenza seasons. From meta-analyses summarizing estimates of influenza vaccine effectiveness from available observational clinical studies, this review aims to examine how effective current influenza vaccine strategies are in the aging and older adult population and to analyze which are the most important biases that interfere with measurements of influenza vaccine effectiveness. Furthermore, consideration is given to strategies that should be adopted in order to optimize influenza vaccine effectiveness in the face of immune exhaustion.

Vaccines in the Prevention of Viral Pneumonia

“…Comprehensive reviews come to differing conclusions dependent on study design, methodology, inclusion criteria and varying approaches to the correction of season-to-season variation of vaccine matching 35,43,44 . Two large meta-analyses assessing the same body of evidence have come to differing conclusions, whilst one group concluded that there was insufficient evidence with respect to older adults 42 , the other concluded when virus was circulating, vaccination reduced influenza-related and non-fatal complications by 28% and confirmed cases of influenza by 5% 45 .…”

When climate change encounters the revolution in adult longevity

“…Old people remain poorly vaccinated in Europe but effectiveness of vaccination is also known to decreases with age, whether it is due to immuno-senescence or to interactions with the common chronic comorbid conditions of the oldest-old people [7]. Furthermore, it should be noted that a large proportion of the oldest old people live in nursing homes and other collective households.…”

Hubungan Status Frailty dengan Serokonversi dan Seroproteksi Vaksin Influenza pada Populasi Usia Lanjut

“…Berdasarkan data dari berbagai penelitian tersebut, nampaknya proses priming atau paparan antigen vaksin berulang menjadi dasar yang penting dari keberhasilan vaksin terkait imunogenesitasnya. 22 …”